corson



March 10, 1964 F. s. CORSON 3,124,022

SELF LOCKING WORM GEARED WRENCH Filed Dec. 4, 1961 FIG. la.

INVENTOR FRED S. CORSON ATTORNEY United States Patent ce Filed Dec. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 156,908 1 Claim. (Cl. 81--57) The present invention relates to an attachment for use with socket wrenches in out of way places. The attachment is adapted to be used between the wrench operating handle and the socket element which is adapted to engage the nuts, or stud head whatever the case may be.

The device has a number of objects one of which is to provide an additional mechanical advantage between the operating handle and the socket element.

Another object of the invention is to provide an offset between the handle and socket for operating in out of way places.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means in which the handle may be operatable from a number of different positions and with increased mechanical advantage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a selflocking arrangement whereby the socket element may be locked against movement while the ratchet handle is operated.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a structure in which the housing for the operating mechanism is formed in two identical interchangeable parts.

While several objects have been pointed out, other objects, uses and advantages will be more apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed including its novel construction, combination and arrangement of its several parts, as shown in the accompanying illustrations and pointed out in the detailed description to follow.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a View in elevation showing the attachment positioned between the operating handle and the socket element.

FIG. 1A is a view of a modified form of operating handle.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation of the invention showing one side of the housing removed and the operating mechanism in operative position.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 2 and the companion portion of the housing.

In describing the invention like numerals are used to point out like and similar parts throughout the several views.

The device is generally for use as an attachment to a standard socket wrench and a manually operating handle therefor which comprises, a housing composed of two parts and 10'. The housing is provided with recesses in its adjoining surfaces and bearings for accommodating the operating mechanism which is in the form of gearing.

The housing is recessed as shown at 11 and 13 to provide operating space for the gear elements.

Extending laterally through the housing is a worm gear shaft 12 having worm gear 12'. The housing is provided at each end of the worm gear shaft with bearings 14 and 16. The worm gear shaft preferably ends flush with the outside surface of the housing. The ends of the worm gear shaft are provided with recesses 18 and 20, in order that an operating handle 21 may be slidably inserted therein for rotating the worm gear. For convenience, or for better operation under certain conditions a flexible handle 19 may be used in place of the ratchet handle 21. The flexible handle is provided with a portion 19' for slidably engaging the recesses 18 and 20 which is connected to the end 19" by a flexible cable (not shown). The portion 19' is manually rotated by the rotating portion 19", which is provided with a leverage pin 19". The shape of the recesses 18 and 3,124,022 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 20 may take any conventional form, however in the present form they are shown square. Rotatably supported in the housing is .an intermediate gear 22 having teeth 22'. This gear is positioned to have its teeth 22' engage the worm gear 12', carried on the worm gear shaft 12 and to be rotated thereby. This intermediate gear is supported in bearings 25 and 27 carried by the housing sections 10 and 10 respectively. Positioned adjacent the opposite end of the housing is a socket operating means 24, which is also provided with gear teeth 24 extending about its center portion. The socket operating gear is so positioned in the housing as to. have its teeth 24' in engagement with the teeth 22' carried on the intermediate gear. The diameter of the socket operating gear is preferably substantially less than the diameter of intermediate gear in order to step up the speed of the socket operating means, as the intermediate gear is moved very slowly by the worm 12'. This socket operating means 24 is supported in bearings 29 and 31 at the opposite end of the housing from the worm gear shaft. In the present illustrations the ratio between the worm gear and the socket operating element is approximately ten to one, but this may be changed for different requirements. The socket operating means is provided with an end portion generally of square shape, which extend outwardly beyond the side of the housing for engaging a suitable shaped opening 36' in one end of the socket element 30, the opposite end of the socket element being adapted to fit over a nut, or stud head 32. The socket engaging element 28 is preferably of the same size as the handle element adapted to engage the recesses 18 and 20 formed in the ends of the worm gear shaft 12, so that the handle may also be used directly with the socket element.

The operating means is generally in the form of a manually operated oscillatable ratchet handle as shown at 21. However, the operating means may be in the form of a flexible cable as shown in FIG. 1A, or the worm gear may be power operated with any convenient power unit which may be coupled to the worm gear.

The split housing sections are held together by the bolts 33 which slidably extend through both sections of the housings and are held in place by nuts 33'. With this arrangement, the two sections of the housing are identical and require only a single molding for their production.

In use the attachment is attached to a socket element 30 by sliding the member 28 within the top opening 30' of the socket element as shown in FIG. 1. The handle is attached to the worm gear by inserting the square shank carried on the member 23 (not shown) into one of the recesses 18 and 2d. The handle is generally provided with a ratchet which may be set to operate the Worm gear in the direction the nut or stud is to be turned. When the handle is oscillated as illustrated in FIG. 1 from the two positions A and B the worm will be rotated in the desired direction. It will be noted that the handle may be operated from numerous positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the socket element as shown at 21', 21" and 21", which enables the handle to be operated in areas most advantageous to its operation. The device is also advantageous in making bolt or not adjustments, in that, the bolt or nut may be slowly moved and held in position by the locking feature existing between the intermediate gear and the worm gear while the adjustable bolt or nut is locked in location.

While the invention is shown and described in a specific form, it is not intended as a limitation and the scope of the invention is best defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

An attachment for use between a socket wrench element and means for operating the socket element, comprising:

a. a substantially narrow elongated housing, the main portion of which is constructed of two interchangable sections, having, when assembled, fiat parallel opposite front and back surfaces and substantially narrow side and end edges of substantially the same width, the side edges adjacent one end of the housing being in parallel planes throughout substantially onehalf the length of the housing and the remaining half of the housing being tapered inwardly toward the elongated central axis and the opposite end of the housing,

. means positioned adjacent the end portion of the elongated housing having the parallel side edges and adjacent each side edge thereof for supporting a first rotatable shaft having a worm gear fixedly associated therewith, said first shaft having means at least at one end thereof for connecting thereto a detachable operating means in close proximity to the side edge of the housing,

. supporting means adjacent the center of the housing and on a line substantially with the elongated axis of the housing for supporting an intermediate gear associated therewith, the intermediate gear having its rotating axis perpendicular to the axis of the first shaft and positioned to engage the worm gear,

4 d. means adjacent the opposite and tapered end of the housing for supporting a second shaft parallel with the axis of the intermediate gear having means for connecting said second shaft to the socket element, said second shaft having a gear of substantial-1y less diameter than the intermediate gear fixed thereto, adapted to engage the intermediate gear on the opposite side of the intermediate gear from the worm gear and to be rotated thereby, I 10 whereby the socket wrench element may be rotated at a speed greater than the speed of the gear rotated by the worm gear.

References Cited in the file of this patent 15 UNITED STATES PATENTS 858,894 Moss July 2, 1907 1,305,680 Young June 3, 1919 1,333,333 Nault Mar. 9, 1920 1,437,017 Roberts Nov. 28, 1922 20 1,698,618 Bigelow Jan. 8, 1929 2,578,279 Bardwell Dec. 11, 1951 2,637,233 Hoffman May 5, 1953 2,787,180 Fish Apr. 2, 1957 

